"You're gonna shoot your toe off!"

[longcall911]

Well this is something I would not do but to each his own. But i guess you can think of it this way if its in his holster and it is a 1911 the switch safety is not on but the grip safety is. Me when i carry my 1911 its always cocked and look and once in a very great while with the Ambi safety i so find it off, but like i said that is once in a GREAT while and doesn't worry me to much.

^^^^this

I don't see any real advantage to carrying a 1911 unlocked, but admit that it does take a little training to be locked and have to draw and and sweep the lock down with your thumb. For me, that added safety step is a plus.

The potential problem with carrying unlocked is as the OP says, upon holstering, unholstering, or drawing. If you are not careful and squeeze the grip safety and *also* get your finger inside the trigger guard, you could have an ND. That is more likely to happen when holstering and pressing down on the weapon to seat it. Even then, it seems that you'd have to be totally oblivious to what you are doing and that's not a good way to be when handling a loaded weapon.

I don't know the Serpa very well, but it seems that while holstering, there would be no way to get the trigger hung up on anything (as you might on a cheap leather holster) or to get a finger inside the trigger guard. So, I really don't see any issue with carry cocked and unlocked with the Serpa.

[.45Kimber1911]

[abner13]

Despite what all the experts say , the 1911 was NOT designed to be carried cocked & locked. All ya gotta do is read any one of the number of books on the history and development of the pistol. The original1910/11 pistol submitted by JMB didn't even have a thumb safety. It was added at the insistance of cavalry officers and added by Colt. The original Army manuals even state the pistol is not to be carried with the thumb safety on , it is for temporary use only.

[Irwin Inhabitant]

Please use the safety. No matter how careful you are, and how great you think your holster is. Do you plan to draw and fire one-handed only, and feel that sweeping off the safety is a waste of micro seconds?

Why be a statistic, and add to the undeserved bad rep us longtime regular 1911 carry guys suffer from already?

Of course these are just my opinions and suggestions. Do whatever you want at your own and the risk of others near you.

[ungawa]

Despite what all the experts say , the 1911 was NOT designed to be carried cocked & locked. All ya gotta do is read any one of the number of books on the history and development of the pistol. The original1910/11 pistol submitted by JMB didn't even have a thumb safety.

Saint John Moses (*does hand thing*) Browning invented... a GLOCK? Blasphemy!!!

[mjfletcher]

Had a guy comment on the way i carry my 1911 the other day.


I carry in a level 2 serpa holster, one in the chamber, hammer back, safety off.

Yeah, safety off is probably not the BEST idea in the world, but I'm fairly confident that I wouldn't be able to get my finger into the holster to pull the trigger.

I was walking with a buddy to the range he belongs to when an old guy comes up to me and goes, "hey son. you got a round in the chamber?" My responce was, "yes sir i do". He came back with, "well, let me tell you a story about a friend who shot his toe off carrying like that!"

I listened, and found out he was putting his gun back in the holster and shot himself.... I politely informed the gentalman that as long as the weapon stays in the holster, it's not going to go bang. the old gentalman still rants on about how i shouldn't carry this way, and it's not safe... blah blah blah. I thank him for his advice and move along.

I wouldnt have ever thought i'd get that type of reaction coming from a person leaving a gun range. haha.

oh well, to each his own i guess.

Booger hook. Bang switch. Keep them separate until ready to fire.
If he hadn't had his finger on the trigger while reholstering he wouldn't have shot himself.

[William7]

In the OPs defense, while I too carry my 1911 in condition 1 (cocked and locked), Bmarshall91 is not alone in carrying in condition 0 (cocked and unlocked). In fact, I was actually quite surprised to see that the vast majority of the responses on this topic were in favor of using the safety when most members on another topic I read (I believe it was on the Concealed Carry Forums website) were against it.

Personally, I feel more comfortable using the safety, carrying in condition 1 and then practicing with fake ammo on properly drawing from the holster and removing the safety. In fact, I plan on taking the basic NRA training course and concealed carry course in the next couple of months for more field practice...that is, in addition to regular visits to the shooting range.

Good luck and be well,

William

P.S. And based on the above video, it sounds like their may be some issues with the Serpa holster design in conjunction with user interaction making the possibility of negligent discharge more likely. Personally, I'd probably stay away from this holster since upon drawing, the thumb safety is irrelevant since most likely, I'd have already deactivated it by sweeping it with my thumb. But since regular training is highly recommended regardless of your equipment, I suspect this too will help minimize the liklihood of any problems.

[ray h]

Had a guy comment on the way i carry my 1911 the other day.


I carry in a level 2 serpa holster, one in the chamber, hammer back, safety off.

Yeah, safety off is probably not the BEST idea in the world, but I'm fairly confident that I wouldn't be able to get my finger into the holster to pull the trigger.

I was walking with a buddy to the range he belongs to when an old guy comes up to me and goes, "hey son. you got a round in the chamber?" My responce was, "yes sir i do". He came back with, "well, let me tell you a story about a friend who shot his toe off carrying like that!"

I listened, and found out he was putting his gun back in the holster and shot himself.... I politely informed the gentalman that as long as the weapon stays in the holster, it's not going to go bang. the old gentalman still rants on about how i shouldn't carry this way, and it's not safe... blah blah blah. I thank him for his advice and move along.

I wouldnt have ever thought i'd get that type of reaction coming from a person leaving a gun range. haha.

oh well, to each his own i guess.

I dont presently own a 1911 (simply put, I dont like them, I wont get into that any further) but I was issued one in the military and I owned one for a few years, so take this for what its worth. I carried it in condition 1.
Its true that the pistol wont go off while in the holster, BUT, it had to get in the holster somehow and it has to leave the holster somehow.
You, yourself admit that " safety off is probably not the BEST idea in the world". If you already know that, then why continue. Its one thing to be ignorant of the possibilities, its another when you know you shouldnt do something and you continue doing it.
But, as you said, to each their own.

[mjfletcher]

P.S. And based on the above video, it sounds like their may be some issues with the Serpa holster design in conjunction with user interaction making the possibility of negligent discharge more likely. Personally, I'd probably stay away from this holster since upon drawing, the thumb safety is irrelevant since most likely, I'd have already deactivated it by sweeping it with my thumb. But since regular training is highly recommended regardless of your equipment, I suspect this too will help minimize the liklihood of any problems.

If you watch the video of the person who shot himself (tex something, its on youtube) you will notice what the reviewer stated about awkward positioning. That is user error, not holster flaw.
By design, pulling up without first releasing the lock locks the pistol in place. Tex pulled up before releasing the lock and the holster did exactly what it was designed to, it locked the firearm in place. User error again.
Tex then did exactly as the reviewer demonstrated and curled his finger for leverage before pushing down on the pistol and releasing the lock. By design, finger straight places the release under the finger in a way that has the finger along the frame of the firearm, not the trigger. Tex operated the lock in a manner other than how it was designed to be used, again that's user error again.

Start to finish it was multiple counts of user error that led to the ND and self inflicted wound.

[MikeB0]

Despite what all the experts say , the 1911 was NOT designed to be carried cocked & locked. All ya gotta do is read any one of the number of books on the history and development of the pistol. The original1910/11 pistol submitted by JMB didn't even have a thumb safety. It was added at the insistance of cavalry officers and added by Colt. The original Army manuals even state the pistol is not to be carried with the thumb safety on , it is for temporary use only.

The Army also doesn't carry with a round in the chamber unless actually in combat to my recollection, so the manual would be meaningless to this discussion.

I personally carry cocked and locked when carrying a 1911 and would not carry with the safety off.